General Quiz at NIT-Surat

NIT-Surat will be organizing a General Quiz as part of its Tech Festival 'MindBend 2009'.

General Quiz:
Date - 4th April 2009
Only for students
3 members in a team

Content and Research: QuizMonks
Quizmaster: Dhananjay S.

For details, kindly contact Shubham: 09824981574

Quizzes at BITS-Pilani

BITS-Pilani will be organizing a few quizzes as part of its Tech Festival 'Apogee 2009'.

India Quiz:
Date - 23rd March 2009
Only for students
3 members in a team

Science Quiz:
Date - 24th March 2009
Only for students
3 members in a team

Content and Research: QuizMonks
Quizmaster: Dhananjay S.

For more details please visit: http://www.bits-apogee.org/main.html

Quizzes at IIT-Roorkee

IIT-Roorkee will be organizing 'Quizzotica' as part of its Tech Festival 'Cognizance 2009'.

General Quiz:
Date - 21st March 2009
Only for students
Maximum of 3 members in a team

Music Movies Sports (MMS) Quiz:
Date - 22nd March 2009
Only for students
Maximum of 3 members in a team

Content and Research: QuizMonks
Quizmaster: Dhananjay S.

For more details please visit: http://www.cognizance.org.in/home/events/centerstage/quizzotica/index.php

Business Quiz at SIIB, Pune

Symbiosis Institute of International Business will be organizing a business quiz titled 'Clairvoyance' as part of its first ever Annual Festival, 'Ignisense'.

Following are the details:
Date - 10th January 2009
Registration Time 02.30 p.m.
Only for B-School students (2-members in a team)
No entry fee

Prizes:
1st prize - Rs. 20,000/-
2nd prize - Rs. 10,000/-
3rd prize - Rs. 5,000/-

Venue:
Symbiosis Infotech Campus, Plot No. 15, Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, MIDC, Hinjewadi, Pune - 411 057

Content and Research: QuizMonks
Quizmaster: Dhananjay S.

Contact:
Subhajit - 9860972400
Tridip - 9823443489

JBIMS KwizKraft - Business Quiz

Winners: Rajiv Rai (Deutsche Bank) & Mitesh Agarwal (SUN Microsystems)
1st Runners-Up: Amit Pandeya (QuestaSoft) & Rohan Khanna (Accenture)
2nd Runners-Up: Ameya Samant (IMRB) & AP Alagarsamy (Fullerton)


A few dry questions from the prelims:

1. Rediffusion DY&R, Percept, Madison, JWT, Crayons and Mudra participated in an advertising pitch for this client. The Rs.150 crores account was won by Crayons whose pitch stressed that: "The client should be rather bold and not push difficult issues 'under the carpet'. Instead, adopt a 'positive attitude' towards its track-record and take the competitor's charges of misgovernance head on." Identify the client.

2. The CASIO PF-3000 released in May 1983 is regarded as the first of its kind. The term was first used on January 7, 1992 by the then Apple Computer CEO John Sculley. What?

3. "There is a bad M and a good M, and we have made that transition." Who said this and what was he referring to?

4. Sara Forden's book with the base line, "A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed" is about which fashion house?

5. A Stanford graduate named Rajeev Samant was one of the youngest finance managers at Oracle. After quitting his job, he teamed up with Kerry Damsky and started his own company in 1997. Named after Rajeev's mother, the company sports a 'smiling yellow sun' logo. Identify.

6. Available in over 92 countries, this brand was founded in 1974 by Merrill J. Fernando, who named it after his two sons. The company follows a practice of donating 10% of its gross profits to the MJF Charitable Foundation, which focuses on supporting women and children. Identify.

7. Composed by Rupert Fernandes and sung by Vijay Prakash, it attracted almost 3 lakh downloads within a month. What?

8. Which product was launched on January 11, 2005 with the tagline 'Life is random'?

9. During the 15th century in Rome, the first word on certificates admitting one's indebtedness to others has given rise to which financial word?

10. In a unique initiative, six radio stations in Mumbai (Red FM, Radio City, Big FM, Radio One, Fever FM and Meow) halted regular programming on September 28 at 10 a.m. and the sound of heartbeats reverberated on the airwaves for 30 minutes. Campaign for which brand?


Research: QuizMonks


PS: Just a request to the person who posted the KwizKraft prelims questions on his blog. Kindly get the framing of sentences and the exact funda correct. Else, the whole essence of the question is lost. And while we are at it, how about a simple word or two about the people behind the research, etc.?

NMIMS (Bombay) - General Quiz

Had conducted a General Quiz at NMIMS (Bombay).

Winners: Rajiv Rai (Deutsche Bank) and AP Alagarsamy (Fullerton)

They romped home so spectacularly that I have forgotten who the runners-up were :)

Here are a few questions:

1. Complete this excerpt from the poem ‘Eloisa and Abelard’ by Alexander Pope:
How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
____________________________
Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d.

2. What are all these:
Up and Down, Circular Swing, Drunk Style, Half-circle, Figure Eight, Side to Side, Whiplash, Two up Two Down, All Out, Tandem, Thrust, Hammer, Breakdown, Low Profile, Full Body and Half Body.

3. The phrase is attributed to Bernard of Chartres who used it while comparing the 12th century scholars with those of Ancient Greece and Rome. Its most famous usage was in a letter to Robert Hooke and has been interpreted as a sarcastic remark due to Hooke’s severe stoop. What?

4. He became captivated by her in the late 1990s when he reviewed one of her albums for a men’s magazine. He said, "Her music has a personal stamp that doesn’t look like anyone else’s and no one can sing or dance like her, at whatever age, with such an innocent sensuality, one that seems to be of her own invention." Identify the duo.

5. Regarded as the incarnations of Avalokitesvara, the title was first bestowed upon a person named Sonam by the Mongolian ruler Altan Khan in 1578. Because he was the third member of his lineage, even his two earlier incarnations were conferred with this title posthumously. What is being referred to?

NIT ( Silchar) - General Quiz

Here a few questions from the General Quiz I conducted at NIT-Silchar:

1. "I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me, and no one came...I told them, ‘Come hug me, or the referee isn’t going to allow it.’"
Whose words about what?

2. X along with Gustav Kirchhoff discovered the elements cesium and rubidium. In 1855, his assistant Peter Desaga perfected an earlier invention of Michael Faraday and named it after X. Identify the person.

3. The director wanted 'something unusual' for the promotional video of one of his films. He approached someone whose involvement in movie-world was till then restricted to just two films, the first of which was way back in the 1980s for a film titled 'Abdullah'. Yet, he was chosen because of his familiarity with Shakespeare's works. Identify the person and the movie.

4. In 2005, a former skating champion named Sanjeev Bhatnagar filed a PIL in the Supreme Court asking for the deletion of a particular word. The SC labeled it 'a publicity interest litigation', fined him Rs.10000 and dismissed the 'case'. It was also noted that the word represents the culture and not the province. What?

5. During the 1982 Ranji Trophy semi-final, Raghuram Bhat picked 8 wickets in the first innings, including a hat-trick. Later, batting at No.11, he scored 30 runs and helped put on a partnership of 91 runs for the last wicket. Staring down the barrel of an innings defeat, the opposition captain came in to bat at the uncharacteristic No.8 position and did something remarkable. Though his 66-ball unbeaten innings failed to save his team, the match is still remembered for his heroics.
Identify the batsman and what did he do?

KIIT (Bhubaneshwar) - Tech Quiz

Conducted a couple of quizzes (Biz Quiz & Tech Quiz) at KIIT-Bhubaneshwar on the 17th of February. Here are a few question from the Tech Quiz:

1. “I am half ‘Nobel prize winning chemist’ and half ‘blanket carrying cartoon character’.” Whose quote?

2. Larry Wall wanted to give it a short name and claims that he considered and rejected every three and four letter words in the dictionary. Being a god-fearing Christian, he named it after the Parable of the ______ from Gospel of Matthew (13:46). On discovering that the name was already in use, he simply removed an alphabet. What?

3. On July 18, 1996 an alternate telecommunications provider called IDT achieved a technological breakthrough that would eventually cut the cost of international calls by 95%. The first call was made by Susan Cheever to Sara Grosvenor. Why were they selected?

4. As a child, he designed shoes for walking on water. After his graduation he was a lecturer of Astronomy. He propounded ground breaking theories on labour division and production technology. His inventions included, the cowcatcher, Speedometer, uniform postal rates and Greenwich Time Signals. He once baked himself in an oven at 265oF and on another occasion was lowered into Mt. Vesuvius to view molten lava. Identify him.

5. It began in 1971 when Michael Hart was given free computer access at the Materials Research Lab at the University of Illinois. He then proceeded to type the US Declaration of Independence and sent it to everyone on the networks. What?

KHOJ - SP Jain

Conducted a Business Quiz for students at SP Jain Institute of Management & Research on 12th Jan, 2008.
Final standings:
1. Govind Grewal & Shambhu Shankar (NMIMS)
2. IIT-SOM (Unfortunately, I dont recollect their names)
3. Vijay Pillai (SPJIMR) & Rohit Nair (UVCE, Bangalore)
4. NITIE (Cant remember the names)


A few questions from the elims:

1. Telecomunicações Móveis Nacionais is Portugal's largest mobile communications company. In September 1995, they launched MIMO, the world’s first ____________. What?

2. It was invented in 1912 by Daniel J. O'Conor and Herbert A. Faber, then working at Westinghouse. They originally conceived it as an electrical insulator as a substitute for _________ and hence, the name. What?

3. Which modern-day company owes its origins to a textile manufacturing unit called Valley Falls Company, founded in 1839 by Oliver Chace?

4. In the late 1920s, a French professor named Henri Chretien developed a new film process. 20th Century Fox won the rights over the technology and launched it with the slogan 'Movies are better than ever'. What?

5. Adam Mathes found that a search for 'internet rockstar' returned the website of a Ben Brown as the first result, even though 'internet rockstar' did not appear anywhere on Brown's webpage. What term did he coin to explain this?

Sharpshooters - 2008

Conducted a Business Quiz at SIES (Nerul) on the 6th of Jan, 2008.
Here are the final standings:
1. Amit Pandeya (Questa Software) & Rohan Khanna (Accenture)
2. Tie between
AP Alagarsamy (ICICI Bank) & Ameya Sawant (IMRB)
M Suresh Kumar (TCS) & Sandeep (TCS)
Other finalists:
Govind Grewal (NMIMS) & Bran D'Souza (NMIMS)
Vishwajeet Narvekar (SUN Microsystems) & Arvind Ramaiah (GE Money)
Prasann Potdar (ICICI Bank) & Mukund Krishnan (Indian Hotels)
Ajay Ravindran (Law & Kenneth) & Francis Rodrigues (Asian Paints)
Vijay Pillai (SP Jain) & Rohit Nair (UVCE, Bangalore)

A few dry questions from the elims:

1. It has been twice recognized by Guinness World Records for massive blood donation camps. It runs a 175 bed hospital in Rajasthan, along with a hostel for girls, a boys school and a degree college in Haryana. It also claims to be involved in several entrepreneurial activities viz., petrol pump, biscuit factory, ice factory, restaurant and a supermarket. Identify this organization, founded in 1948 by Khema Mal.

2. Members of the band ‘Radiohead’ were so impressed by this book that they planned to name the album ‘Kid A’ after it. While touring, the band played unsponsored concerts and would ask the audience to buy this book. Which?

3. Who suggested the following alternative to the penalty shootout to the FIFA:
Count the number of times each goalkeeper touches the ball throughout the game. The team whose goalkeeper has touched the ball more often is the loser. The winner will then be the team that has had more attempts at scoring goals and is more aggressive (and therefore exciting) in their style of play.

4. According to X, this is how a real conversation went:
X: Listen, Josef. I think I have an idea for a play.
Josef: What kind?
(X told him as briefly as he could.)
Josef: Then write it.
X: But, I don’t know what to call these ___________. I could call them Labori, but that strikes me as a bit bookish.
Josef: Then call them ________.
Who is X and what word was coined?

5. It was introduced in 1968, mainly to rival the then popular brand named Matchbox by the British Company Lesney. Designed by Harry Bentley Bradley, the first one was a dark blue Custom Camaro. What?

6. The 35SQ Astron was unveiled in Tokyo on December 25, 1969. With a limited production of just 100 pieces, they sold at a price of 450000 yen ($1250), roughly the same price as a Toyota Corolla. Which company and what?

7. This advertising character/campaign was based on the ‘Social Learning Theory’ of Albert Bandura. It was created by the ad agency Lowe for an awareness program titled ‘Operation Lighthouse’ on behalf of its client, Population Services International. Which?

JBIMS - KwizKraft 2007

Conducted a Business Quiz titled 'Kwizkraft' on 28th October at JBIMS, Bombay.
Final Standings:
1st - Amit Pandeya & Rohan Khanna
2nd - Mitesh Agarwal & Vishwajeet Narvekar
3rd - AP Alagarsamy & Ameya Samant

Here are a few dry questions from the elims:

1. It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyallpuri, founder-father of the Akali Movement and the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab. Pt Madan Mohan Malviya was among the members of the Managing Committee. The first issue contained articles written by CF Andrews, Dr. Kichlu, etc. Identify the publication.

2. Chennai-based Star Health and Allied Insurance recently became the first ever Indian company to provide insurance to a particular group of people. Who?

3. Introduced in 1860, it was a direct fall-out of the 1857 Mutiny. As justification, James Wilson spoke about the duty of the citizens towards the King, as mentioned in the Manu Smriti. What am I referring to?

4. In 1846, Moses Yale Beach, publisher of The New York Sun, offered to share news of the Mexican War with four of his competitors: The Journal of Commerce, The Courier & Enquirer, The New York Herald and The Express. This led to the formation of which institution?

5. It is believed that Commander AD Taylor had originally proposed it, back in 1860. The Indian Govt. appointed a committee in 1955, headed by Dr. Ramasamy Mudaliar to examine its feasibility. But, it was in 2005 that work was officially started. What am I referring to?

6. An Italian named Jean Marie Farina launched it in 1709 and likened it to an Italian spring morning after the rain. A favourite of Napoleon I, its ingredients are a closely-guarded secret. What?

7. What term was coined by Ben Hammersley in an article titled ‘Audible Revolution’ that appeared in The Guardian on Feb 12, 2004?

8. Launched in 1990 by Ajanta Pharmaceuticals, this brand featured Jeetendra in its advertisements. A few years back, the company considered changing the brand name due to certain lifestyle changes that have taken place in India over the past decade or so. Which brand?

KJ Somaiya - Chequemate Elims

Had conducted a Business Quiz at KJ Somaiya Institute Of Management Studies & Research (SIMSR) on 18th of March, 2007.
Final standings:
1 - Rajiv Rai & Alagarsamy
2 - Amit Pandeya & Ameya Samant
3 - Vishwajeet Narvekar & Sathiaseelan

Here are the elims questions...

1. (***) Following is the text of a print advertisement:
The Management of _____________ have pleasure in announcing that the name ‘________’ has been selected as the winner for the “Give Me A Name” contest. Shri BN Rele and Shri DB Aras, who have both sent in the name ‘________’, equally share the prize of Rs. 500.
Identify the company.

2. The following excerpt is from a book by John Battelle:
On July 19, 2001, about a dozen early employees met to mull over the founders’ directive [to elucidate our core values] ... The meeting soon became cluttered with the kind of easy and safe corporate clichés that everyone can support, but that carry little impact: Treat Everyone with Respect, for example, or Be on Time for Meetings.
.....
That’s when Paul Buchheit, another engineer in the group, blurted out what would become the most important words in our corporate history. Paul said, “All of these things can be covered by just saying, ___________,” And it just kind of stuck.

3. It was first mentioned in 1784 by Benjamin Franklin in a letter to the editors of the ‘Journal of Paris’. However, due to the humorous nature of the article, it wasn’t taken seriously. The idea was finally adopted by the German Government during the First World War, between April 30, 1916 and October 1, 1916. What?

4. Identify the person.

5. (***) The American arm of this company bears a slightly different name, because of the similarity of the pronunciation between the original name and the noted gangster Al Capone. Identify this company that was founded in 1919 by Isaac Carasso.

6. In 2005, Intel offered a reward of $10000 on eBay for an original copy of Electronics Magazine dated 19 April, 1965. Why?

7. Identify the advertiser. (Video Ad)

8. The ‘Fish Fry’ range of women’s party wear shoes were unveiled in May 2006 and earned a mention in Time Magazine. Priced between Rs. 6000 to Rs. 20000, these shoes bears names of movies such as Dil Chahta Hai, Swades, Sholay and Monsoon Wedding. Identify the designer who collaborated with Reebok to create this range.

9. (***) During his political trips away from Washington, Woodrow Wilson was extremely particular about his place of lodging being in conformance to his requirements. As a result, what term came into being?

10. Identify the advertiser.

11. Over the years, several notable authors including GB Shaw, Sinclair Lewis, Jack London and Rudyard Kipling have contributed articles to this magazine. Launched in 1886 by Schlicht & Field as a ‘first-class family magazine’, it transformed into a woman’s magazine during the 1960s. Identify it.

12. Submitted by Price Waterhouse on June 24, 1991, the ‘Sandstorm Report’ implicated this entity of having engaged in widespread fraud and having been involved in funding terrorist activities, thus leading to its closure. Which financial institution is being referred to?

13. It was founded in 1917 by Larry Valenstein and Arthur Fatt as a direct marketing company and the name was chosen to reflect the color of their office wall. Identify it.

14. Duktig, Oslo, Jerker, Dinera, Kassett, Effektiv, Skarpt, Ivar and Gutvik are all names of products of which company?

15. (***) Identify the logo.

16. On what occasion? (Audio)

17. This book was originally published in the year 1988 under the title ‘Virando a Própria Mesa’ (Turning Your Own Table). Dealing with a radical form of industrial democracy and workplace reengineering, it was later published in English in 1993 under a different title. Identify the book and the author.

18. Identify him and the company that he founded.

19. What term was coined by Deepak Mohoni in 1990, while writing market analysis columns for some of the business newspapers?

20. (***) Ivan Pope started his career as publisher of ‘The World Wide Web Newsletter’ in 1993. A year later, he was asked to develop a net-based event for the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. Ivan wrote a proposal outlining this concept, which debuted on March 12-13, 1994 during the ‘Towards the Aesthetics of the Future’ event. What?

21. The following is an advertisement for..... (Video Ad)

22. It was founded in 1851 as ‘The New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company’. The name was changed in 1856 at the insistence of Ezra Cornell, founder of Cornell University. Identify the company.

23. Identify the brand being endorsed by the noted aviator, Amelia Earhart.

24. (***) Born in Switzerland in 1874, Alfred spent a few years working abroad while three of his brothers opened a freight forwarding agency in Zurich. In 1905, on returning to Switzerland he entered his brothers trade and soon suggested the addition of a travel agency to the already prospering freight business. Name the company.

25. Identify the person.


dhanu80@rediffmail.com

My Own Quiznet Quizzes: Baker's Dozen

Originally posted on Quiznet in July 2004

1. According to myth, in the 7th century a dragon rose from the waters of the Seine River in France. Unlike the typical dragons, this one breathe water. The monster proceeded to lay waste to the countryside around Paris by drowning it. St. Romain, the Archbishop of Rouen, accompanied only by a condemned prisoner, set out to stop the beast. Upon confronting the monster, the Saint formed a cross with his two index fingers, taming it. The dragon was led back to Paris, where it was slain and burned. The head, however, was saved and mounted on a building. In commemoration of this event, architects began to design gutter spouts in the shape of the dragon, and eventually in the shape of all manner of bizarre creatures. Identify the word that derives from the name of this dragon.
Answer: Gargoyle. The name of the dragon was 'Gargouille'.

2. His first-class career lasted from 1900 to 1907. In all he played 10 matches for MCC - 18 innings, 6 not-outs, 231 runs, highest score 43, average 19.25. He also took one wicket for 50 runs. Identify him.
Answer: Arthur Conan Doyle. His only wicket in first class cricket was W G Grace.

3. This extinct volcanic mountain's Persian name 'Koh-i-Nuh' is 17160 feet high consists of two peaks that are seven miles apart. It stands in Turkish territory overlooking the point where the frontiers of Turkey, Iran and Armenia converge, and is about 25 miles in diameter. On September 7, 1829 Johann Hacob von Parrot, a German in the Russian service, made the first successful ascent. How do we know these mountains better as and what is its claim to fame?
Answer: It is 'Mount Ararat' where Noah's Ark came to rest. The Persian name means Noah's Mountain.

4. What is being referred to?
Director: Antoine Bardou-Jacquet
Voiceover: US author Garrison Keillor
Line: Isn't it nice when things just work?
Background Score: "Rapper's Delight" by Grand Master Flash & the Sugar Hill Gang
Possible Inspirations: Short film titled 'The Way Things Go" by Peter Fischli & David Weiss (or) Engineering of Caractacus Potts' breakfast-making machine in the Sixties film 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'.
Answer: Honda Accord - The Cog Commercial

5. This expression is derived from an ancient Greek expression: "ta syka syka, te:n skaphe:n de skaphe:n onomasein". This is first recorded in the Aristophanes' play 'The Clouds' (423 BC), and was used by Menander and Plutarch, and is still current in modern Greek. In ancient times the phrase was often used pejoratively, to denote a rude person who spoke his mind tactlessly. In the Renaissance, Erasmus confused Plutarch's 'skaphe:n' with the Greek word for 'digging tool', i.e., 'skapheion'. Hence, it was translated into English in 1542 by Nicholas Udall in his translation of Erasmus' version as what?
Answer: To call a spade a spade

6. Born in Austria in 1955, he graduated from Vienna's School of Graphic Arts in 1975 and worked for the Austrian National Bank until 1998. He became famous after certain designs of his, created on a Power Macintosh PC using Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Freehand software were selected ahead of 300 other competitors. Identify him and what did he design?
Answer: Robert Kalina, who designed the Euro Banknotes. One side of each bill depicts open windows and portals, as symbols of access and transparency. The other side depicts composite bridges reflecting various architectural periods viz., E5 - Classical, E10 - Romanesque, E20 - Gothic, E50 - Renaissance, E100 - Baroque & Rococo, E200 - Age of Iron and E500 - Modern.

7. Connect the following poem by the physicist James Clerk Maxwell with John Lennon.
Gin a body meet a body
Flyin' thro the air,
Gin a body hit a body,
Will it fly? And where?
Ilka impact has its measure
Ne'er a' ane hae I
Yet a' the lads they measure me,
Or, at least, they try.
Answer: Poem is a parody of Robert Burns' poem "Comin' Thro The Rye" - J D Salinger's "Catcher In The Rye" - Mark Chapman (John Lennon's assassin)

8. In the latter part of the 1770s, Franz Joseph Müller von Reichenstein was appointed Chief Inspector of all mines, smelters and saltworks in the tiny province of Transylvania. He began experimenting with the ores from his mines. An ore of gold, known as 'Aurum Album', caught his attention when he extracted a different metal from it. He and other chemists working on similar samples assumed it to be Antimony. By 1783, they realised that it was not antimony. What was it later named as?
Answer: Tellurium (Element 52)

9. The 1893 World Fair was held in Chicago to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus' landing in America. The Chicago Fair organizers wanted something that would rival the Eiffel Tower since Gustave Eiffel had built the tower for the Paris World Fair of 1889, which honored the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Architect Daniel H. Burnham, who was in charge of selecting the project for the Fair, complained at an engineer's banquet in about having found nothing that "met the expectations of the people". Among the audience was George Washington Gale _______ Jr., owner of a firm that tested iron and steel. He had an inspiration and scribbled a design on a napkin during the dinner. What did he come up with?
Answer: Ferris Wheel. The person's surname was Ferris. It was considered an engineering wonder: Two 140-foot steel towers supported the wheel; they were connected by a 45-foot axle. The wheel section had a diameter of 250 feet and a circumference of 825 feet. Two 1000-horsepower reversible engines powered it. 36 wooden cars held up to sixty riders each. The ride cost fifty cents and made $726,805.50 during the World Fair. The original Ferris Wheel was destroyed in 1906.

10. In 1944, Japan realized that the Allied Navy was preparing to claw back the Philippines. Hence, they decided that what their country lacked in military might, it would make up for in fervor. That was how the XXXXX was formed, led by Admiral Takijiro Onishi a ruthless warrior and one of the heroes of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The first strike came on October 25, 1944, off the Philippine island of Leyte, and included 26 fighter planes. It peaked with the start of the battle of Okinawa in April 1945. Admiral Takijiro Onishi, after seeing all his desperate attempts to ward off his country’s imminent defeat fall through and hearing the Emperor’s decision to capitulate, swam in a pool of blood for a whole 18 hours and died squeezing the hand of a close friend. Identify XXXXX.
Answer: Kamikaze

11. Juno, once saw her husband Zeus, with the nymph Io in the form of a cow and asked to have it as a gift and Zeus consented. She asked Argus who had a hundred eyes in his head, to keep watch on Io. Zeus was troubled at the sufferings of his mistress, and called, Mercury to go and despatch Argus. Mercury assumed the form of a shepherd and strolled on blowing his Syrinx or Pandean Pipes, which were supposed to lull people. As Argus slept, Mercury cut his neck and freed Io. Juno took the 100 eyes of Argus and did what?
Answer: She put them as ornaments on the tail of her peacock.

12. In the 1920s, the US Patent Office would only trademark emblems of manufacturers and merchants. Service companies were not permitted to trademark their emblem. This firm made a case to the US Copyright Office, arguing that its coat of arms was of unique artistic quality. It won and 'Truth Well Told' was copyrighted in 1926, making it the first emblem of a service company to be afforded government protection. Identify the firm.
Answer: McCann-Erickson

13. Connect: Samuel Purchas, Papaver Somniferum, Alph and Svlad Cjelli.
Answer: Kubla Khan by Samuel T Coleridge
Coleridge got the inspiration after reading 'Pilgrimage' by Samuel Purchas.
'Papaver Somniferum' is the biological name of Opium - Opium induced dream state.
Alph is the river by whose side Xanadu was built.
Svlad Cjelli is the real name of Dirk Gently (Douglas Adams' creation). Well, do I have to tell you the funda.

dhanu80@rediffmail.com

My Own Quiznet Quizzes: Greek Mythology

Originally posted on Quiznet in July 2002
Later appeared in the Fundamentals column of the Sunday edition of Asian Age.

1. He was the son of Telamon, one of the Greek heroes at Troy. When Achilles was killed, it was he who risked his life to rescue the body. But when the Greeks were deciding who should be awarded the arms of Achilles and it came down to Odysseus and him, they voted for Odysseus. Identify him.
Answer: Ajax
Ajax planned to attack the Greek army (and Odysseus in particular), but Athena drove him mad so that he killed cattle, thinking that he was killing the Greek leaders. When he came to his senses and realised what he had done and killed himself.

2. There are two versions of her family background. According to Hesiod's 'Theogony', she was one of the most ancient deities; born from the foam surrounding Ouranos' castrated genitals when they fell into the sea. In Homer's 'Iliad' she is depicted as the daughter of the minor goddess Dione. Who is she?
Answer: Aphrodite

3. She was so proud of her skill in weaving that she challenged Athena herself to a contest. The goddess came to her in disguise and competed with her. Angered at the mortal woman's skill she destroyed her work, whereupon she hanged herself. Who?
Answer: Arachne
On her death, the goddess turned her into a spider ('Arachne' in Greek), a creature that spins and hangs eternally.

4. Son of Priam and Hekabe he was also known as Alexandros. It was his arrow that killed Achilles. He himself is killed just before the end of the war by Philoktetes, with the help of Herakles bow. Who is he?
Answer: Paris

5. Son of Tantalos, who served him up to the gods, he escaped being eaten and was put back together, minus a shoulder, which was replaced by an ivory one. He later won the hand of Hippodameia by beating her father, Oinomaos, King of Pisa, in a chariot race. He won by bribing Oinomaos’ charioteer, Myrtilos. Who?
Answer: Pelops
He gave his name to the Peloponnese.

6. Identify: Son of Laertes and Antikleia and husband of Penelope he ruled over Ithaka, a craggy island off the west coast of Greece.
Answer: Odysseus
Some of his epithets are Polytropos, Polymetis, Polytlemon and Polymechanos.

7. Tantalus lived in Asia Minor at a time when gods and men mixed freely and even ate together. Tantalus abused this privilege and served up his son, Pelops, to the gods. They immediately realised what he had done, except one, who was so upset about Persephone that she inadvertently ate a shoulder. Who was she?
Answer: Demeter
Tantalus was punished in the 'Underworld' by being kept eternally just out of reach of food and drink (hence 'To Tantalise').

8. In Hesiod's genealogical classification system, she is the child of Echidna and Typhoeus. She is best known as the riddle-loving monster that terrorised Thebes until Oedipus came along and answered her question correctly. Who is she?
Answer: The Sphinx

9. Apollo was passionately fond of this youth who accompanied him in his sports, carried the nets when he went fishing and led the dogs when he went to hunt. One day they played a game of quoits together, and Apollo, heaved the discus. He watched it as it flew, and ran forward to seize it, when the quoit bounded from the earth and struck him in the forehead and he thus died. How did Apollo immortalize him?
Answer: The person was Hyacinthus. Apollo changed him into a flower.

10. They were monsters with the body of a lion, the head and wings of an eagle, and back covered with feathers. They found gold in the mountains and built their nests of it, for which reason their nests were very tempting to the hunters. Name them.
Answer: Griffins

dhanu80@rediffmail.com

My Own Quiznet Quizzes: Metallica

Originally posted on Quiznet in July, 2003

1. All of us know that Lars stole Ron Quintana's suggested name for the Metal Magazine, which Ron was starting and thus arriving at a name for the band. Tell me, what did the magazine end up being called?
Answer: Metal Mania

2. Since their heydays, this song written by Ennio Morricone (for a movie) has been used by the band as an intro to their shows. Identify the song and the movie.
Answer: 'Ecstasy of Gold' from the Clint Eastwood movie 'The Good, The Bad And The Ugly'

3. Dave Mustaine with Lars and James wrote a song that was initially titled 'Mechanix'. The original version was included on the first Megadeth album. The song was later modified, given a new name and included in the album "Kill 'em All". Identify the song.
Answer: The Four Horsemen

4. In 1989, Metallica won a Grammy for 'One'. The first person they thanked was Jethro Tull. Why?
Answer: The first Grammy for 'Best Metal Performance' was awarded in 1988 to Jethro Tull, who by no means qualified as a Heavy Metal artist. Hence, Metallica thanked them for not releasing a 'Heavy Metal' album that year.

5. The movie clips in the 'One' video is from a 1971 movie directed by Dalton Trumbo, based on his own book. The movie is about a soldier whose arms and legs are blown away by a grenade during World War I. Identify the movie.
Answer: Johnny Got His Gun

6. On August 8, 1992, the band was opening for Guns n Roses at Montreal's Olympic Stadium when their pyrotechnics went bad. James didn't know where he was supposed to be on the stage and wound up walking into a wall of flames. He suffered serious burns and one of the band’s roadies played the Rhythm Guitar. Who?
Answer: John Marshall

7. This song was inspired by a 1976 Al Pacino film about a lawyer sick of an unjust system where innocents are killed or convicted and murderers and rapists are allowed to go scot-free. Identify it.
Answer: And Justice For All

8. Kirk saw a photo while going through a collection of an artist's work at a bookstore. Later used on the cover of 'Load', it was done by mixing bovine blood and the artist's own semen between two sheets of glass. Identify the photo and the artist.
Answer: "Blood and Semen III" by Andres Serrano

9. Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn,
Apple seed and apple thorn;
Wire, briar, limber lock,
Three geese in a flock.
Connect the above mentioned song to Metallica.
Answer: The next lines of the song are -
One flew east,
And one flew west,
And one flew over the cuckoo's nest.
This is the song from where Ken Kesey took the name for his book, later made into a film by Milos Forman starring Jack Nicholson in the lead, which won the top 4 Oscar Awards in 1975. The film in turn was the inspiration for the song 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)' from their album 'Master of Puppets'.

dhanu80@rediffmail.com

My Own Quiznet Quizzes: Etymology Quiz

Originally posted on Quiznet in June 2002

1. To understand this word, one has to go back to the days when movies were shown continuously in theaters and the audience was allowed to sit through multiple showings of the same movie – the start times were published, and if you came in late you simply sat through the next showing until you came to the point "where you came in". The coming attractions reel would be spliced onto the end of the last reel of the movie. What word is derived from the above-mentioned practice?
Answer: The word is 'Trailer'. For a person who arrived on time or a little early, the coming attractions would seem to appear before the feature, even though technically it was at the end.

2. As founder of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, Anthony _______ earned the dubious distinction of overseeing the destruction of 160 tons of literature and photos he deemed immoral. What word owes its origins to him?
Answer: The word is 'Comstockery', which means 'self-righteous or moralizing censorship' a la Navalkar. The person's surname was Comstock and he held special contempt for a G B Shaw play. Shaw returned the favor by writing a letter to the New York Times, which read in part: "Comstockery is the world's standing Joke at the expense of the United States. It confirms the deep-seated conviction of the Old World that America is a provincial place, a second rate country-town civilization after all."

3. Complete this Ariel’s song from 'The Tempest':
Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made:
Those pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a ___-______
Into something rich and strange.
Answer: Sea Change

4. Richard Sheridan created this female character in his play 'The Rivals', which gave its name to a word in the English language. What was her name or the word?
Answer: Mrs. Malaprop, which was the origin of the term 'Malapropism'.

5. Guido d'Arezzo, an 11th century musician, devised a system of musical notation that was a precursor to our modern system of notes and staffs. His system had a six-note scale, represented on a higher and lower staff. This word is a contraction of the words for the lower staff and the lowest note. At some point, French musicians began referring to the whole scale (by then an octave) by this word. The term was then extended to refer to the musical range of an instrument or voice. By the 17th century, it was further generalized to mean an entire range of any kind.
Answer: The lower staff was known as 'Gamma' and the lowest note was 'Ut'. Thus, the word 'Gamut'.

6. In 1925, a person named Robert Link coined this term for the braided leather lanyards that every young Boy Scout was expected to make. It wasn’t the most useful skill for those youngsters to learn, but at least it kept them busy. During the 1930s, critics of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal scornfully applied this term to costly government projects, which, they argued, were a waste of time and money.
Answer: The word was 'Boondoggle', which means 'wasteful expenditure'.

7. Retired physician and self-appointed literary critic, he took it upon himself to tidy up the works of Shakespeare by removing those lines, "which cannot with propriety be read in a family." In his 1818 volume, 'The Family Shakespeare', he severely cut some speeches, omitted certain bawdy characters entirely and in the case of expletives, included the word 'God'. Name this person and the word.
Answer: The person was Thomas Bowlder and the word is 'Bowdlerize'. It means to remove or modify parts to which one has objections.

8. This ancient Greek Goddess, who was the daughter of Aeolus, God of the Wind, married a mortal. But when her husband was killed at sea, she too threw herself into the depths and drowned. Along with her husband, she was magically transformed into the birds. The gods took pity on the pair, declaring that during the week before and after the winter solstice, the seas would remain perfectly calm, so that the devoted pair to nest upon the waters and hatch their eggs. This is the origin of which word?
Answer: 'Halcyon' meaning 'calm and tranquil'. The Greek Goddess was Alcyone.

dhanu80@rediffmail.com

My Own Quiznet Quizzes: Band Name Origins

Originally posted on Quiznet in December 2002

1. (Starting off with a SITTER) John Entwistle once said: "XXX is a good name, isn't it? I made it up. Everybody says Keith Moon made it up, but he didn't. About four years ago I was really getting fed up with The Who.... And I was talking with a fellow who is the production manager for XXX now. I was talking to him down in a club in New York. And I said, 'Yeah, I'm thinking of leaving the group and forming my own group. I'm going to call the group XXX. And I'm going to have an LP cover with the Hindenburg going down in flames, and, you know, this whole business.' And two months later he was working for YYY and, they were looking for a name, and so he suggested XXX, and YYY liked it, and they came out with the same LP cover that I'd planned." Identify XXX.
Answer: Led Zeppelin
YYY was Jimmy Page. Another story is that Entwistle joked that the band would go down like a Lead Balloon.

2. Which band got its name from what the UFO's were called by the British and US fighter pilots during WWII?
Answer: Foo Fighters

3. They were originally called 'Earth', but there was a more popular band by the same name. They were on their way to practice, when they looked over at the local movie theatre and saw a movie called '_____ _______', directed by Boris Karloff. The members found it interesting that people would pay to get scared by a movie.
Answer: Black Sabbath

4. The band saw a poster advertise in the lead singer's room about the Inspiral Carpets playing at a club called '_____'. The band also learned that the Beatles had once played there. Hence, they chose that name.
Answer: Oasis

5. This band was named after the annoying gym coach of some band members, who enforced the 'Draconian' short hair policy at Robert Lee High School in Florida.
Answer: Lynyrd Skynyrd. The coach's name was Leonard Skinner. Alan Collins and Gary Rossington were often the target of his wrath. The band's original name was 'The One Percent'.

6. A popular myth is that the band got its name from a respelling of a Sinclair Lewis novel. But the group’s autobiography tells the story of how one of the members, when in school was sitting around with his girlfriend listening to a Harry Nilsson song, and he and his girlfriend thought of cool band names that had '____' in them. He thought up '________' and loved the name so much that he used to write it all over his school books. But the band he was with at the time didn’t want to use it. A much popular band later decided to use it.
Answer: Aerosmith
There are some other versions of the origin.
BTW, here is the entire funda from the group's autobio titled 'Walk This Way':
Joey Kramer was sitting with his GF listening to Harry Nilsson’s 'Aerial Ballet', and they thought of band names that had 'Aero' in them. He came up with 'Aerosmith' and would write it all over his school books. After he had joined Joe Perry and Steven’s band, they were sitting around and watching old 'Three Stooges' reruns and were trying to come up with a band name. Kramer remembered the word he used to write on his books. The band didn’t like it at first because they thought it was the title of the Sinclair Lewis novel 'Arrowsmith' they were forced to read in high school but Joey said, "No, no, A-E-R-O" and it stuck because they liked the connotation of power and the lift their music gave off.

7. The lead singer of this band was such a big fan of the Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles that he took the band name from the vampire world in her book 'The Vampire Lestat'.
Answer: Savage Garden

8. Which band took its name from that of a vibrator in the William Burrough's novel "The Naked Lunch"?
Answer: Steely Dan

9. Which band reportedly named themselves after a pipe sculpture in Seattle's Sand Point that makes unearthly howling noises in the wind?
Answer: Soundgarden

dhanu80@rediffmail.com

My Own Quiznet Quizzes: Business - I

Originally posted on Quiznet in July 2001

1. "The letter 'K' is forceful, direct and arresting. I decided to use it twice for emphasis, to begin the name and to end it. Then I filled in the other letters to make the word short and catchy as to sound." Who said this?
Answer: George Eastman about how he arrived at the word 'Kodak'.

2. In 1989, the State of California designated the Addison Avenue Garage as a California Historical Landmark and called it 'The birthplace of Silicon Valley'. Which company was founded in this garage?
Answer: Hewlett-Packard

3. Which corporate logo was designed by George Dexter?
Answer: The Golden Arches of McDonald's

4. David McConnell used to sell books door-to-door in Brooklyn and used tiny perfume samples to capture the interest of the homemakers. He quickly realised that the people were more interested in his perfumes. So, in 1887 he founded the California Perfume Company. How do we know this company as?
Answer: Avon Cosmetics Limited (The name change took place in 1928)

5. What is common to the following- 'Eagle' in Los Angeles, 'Spirit of Akron' in Ohio, 'Stars and Stripes' in Florida and 'Europa' in Rome?
Answer: These are the four Goodyear Blimps

6. He always gave 1/10th of his earnings to church charities and formed the American Bible Society, a group that dispensed free Bibles. He did this after a valuable family Bible of his was stolen. Who?
Answer: William Colgate (Founder of what else, but Colgate)

7. In 1907, Rolls Royce unveiled a car that was officially called 40/50. What did it come to be known as?
Answer: Silver Ghost.
Because of the silver-gray colour and it was so free of engine noise, that it ran as quietly as a ghost.

8. In 1952, this company decided to celebrate its 75th anniversary by awarding five shares of common stock to any employee who had a baby on October 15th. Name this company.
Answer: General Electric.
The company's guess that 13 GE babies would be born amounted to gross underestimation, since no less than 189 new GE babies were born that day.

9. "A Coke is a Coke, and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one, the bum on the corner is drinking. All the Coke's are the same, and all the Cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it." To which artist is this quote attributed?
Answer: Andy Warhol
He made as effective use of the Coca-Cola bottle in his art as he did of the Campbell's soup can.

10. James Ritty was the proprietor of a 'café saloon' in Dayton and found himself plagued by petty embezzlement. On an ocean cruise, he is said to have observed a machine that recorded the rotations of the ship's propeller on a dial. This gave him the inspiration to patent a device that recorded transactions on a similar clock face. What was this device?
Answer: The Cash-Register

dhanu80@rediffmail.com

My Own Quiznet Quizzes: General - I

Originally posted on Quiznet in September 2001

1. Michael Dudok de Wit received an Oscar in 2001 for the Best Animated Short Film. He also won a high definition TV set. For what reason?
Answer: For making the shortest acceptance speech of 18 seconds.
A side anecdote: Julia Roberts was jabbering away after receiving the Oscar and when prompted to keep her speech short, in the midst of her speech she retorted, "I already have a TV."

2. Who wrote the short essay 'The Nine Billion Names of God', about a Tibetan lamasery engaging the services of Western Computer experts to run through all the possible combinations of letters to come up with one that is the hidden name of God?
Answer: Arthur C Clarke

3. Name this painter (famous for his moustache), whose paintings usually contained watches bent in mysterious ways.
Answer: Salvador Dali

4. According to the author himself, his best works were the little remembered historical romances 'Micah Clarke' and 'The White Company'. Who was he?
Answer: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

5. These games held in Israel every two years are restricted to athletes of the Jewish faith. It features cricket among other disciplines at international level. What are they called?
Answer: The Maccabbee Games

6. Connect: Percy Shelley, Sylvia Plath, Uranus and 'The Tempest'.
Answer: The connection is Ariel.
Percy Shelley died in the boat 'Ariel'.
It was the name of a 1965 volume of poetry published by Sylvia Plath.
Ariel is one of the moons of Uranus.
The name of the principal spirit in 'The Tempest' was Ariel.

7. Paleontologists recently discovered a 70 million year old dinosaur in Madagascar and named it 'Masiakasaurus Knopfleri'. Why?
Answer: They named it after the Dire Straits vocalist Mark Knopfler, since the crew was listening to the band when they made this discovery. It means 'Knopfler - The Fierce Lizard'.

8. This Australian leg spinner made his debut at the age of 34 years. He played 37 Test matches and took 216 wickets. He loved Indian tea and wore a ring with a gemstone, on which was inscribed, 'Eyes of Allah'. Who was he?
Answer: Clarrie Grimmet

9. Ernest Vincent Wright wrote a book titled 'Gadsby'. What is unique about this book?
Answer: He did not use a single 'E' in the entire book.

10. It is considered to be the musical equivalent of the Nobel Prize. It was started in 1992 by the late Stig Anderson, the manager of ABBA. In 2001, the honour went to Burt Bacharach, an American songwriter. What is this award called?
Answer: The Polar Music Prize
Former winners include Ravi Shankar and Elton John.

dhanu80@rediffmail.com

ARMAGEDDON-2006

Here are the questions and answers from the elims of ARMAGEDDON-2006:

1. In 1988, Ajjay B. joined his family business, the Amritsar Transport Corporation. Alongside ATC, his family ran another business, which was doing abysmally. Ajjay’s father gave him Rs. 40 lakhs to turnaround the business, which he managed to do in two year’s time. To expand his business, he formed a JV with an Australian company in 1995. Identify the company.
Answer: PVR

2. Founded in December 1998 by Peter Thiel and Max Levchin, it was initially a service for users to send money via PDAs. The company is supposed to have devised the Captcha system of making the user enter numbers from a blurry picture. Currently owned by eBay, its domain name is www.x.com. Identify.
Answer: PayPal

3. Identify the company.
Maximum capital to be raised – $2718281828 (reference to Napier’s constant e = 2.718281828)
Shares floated during IPO – 14142135 (reference to Square Root of 2 = 1.4142135)
Shares floated during secondary offering – 14159265 (reference to Pi = 3.14159265)
Answer: Google

4. After serving as an Electrical engineer in US Steel Corporation, Ramchandra Galla founded this company in 1985. An original equipment supplier to Maruti and Hyundai, this company unveiled its new logo in 2001, a Yin and Yang symbol in green and black. Identify the company.
Answer: Amara Raja

5. (***) Identify him or the company.
Answer: Sinnasamy Muthiah (Father of Muthiah Muralitharan); Luckyland Biscuits

6. This was one of the many t-shirts that were up for sale on Cafepress.com. Funda.
Answer: Federal Inmate Number of Martha Stewart

7. In the mid-80s, the computer-aided search for a new name of the Mutuelles Unies / Drouot entity resulted in short listing of – Argos, ___ and Elanwas. Elan meant ‘moose’ in the native language and Argos was already a popular company name, so both were eliminated. In 1985, Chairman/CEO Claude Bébéar chose ____ as the corporate name.
Answer: AXA

8. A London-based design firm named AID was entrusted with designing the new logo for a particular company. Terry Moore of AID removed the letters LM from the old logo and used the Frutiger font. The new logo unveiled in 1982 was initially humorously referred to as “The Three Sausages”. Which company?
Answer: Ericsson

9. The two persons in this photo are Catherine Fake and Stewart Butterfield. Identify their creation.
Answer: Flickr

10. (***) Zhao Xiaokai, the general manager of a sports publicity company named ‘Flying to Infinity Sports Culture Diffusion’ recently registered a trademark to be used for beer and hats under the name ‘Tietougong’. What?
Answer: Black and White Silhouette of Zinedine Zidane's Headbutt

11. Identify the connection.
Answer: Paul Allen

12. Due to lack of facilities for the 1956 Unesco Conference, Pandit Nehru decided to build a hotel and a convention centre. Thus, Vigyan Bhawan became Asia’s first convention centre and __________ became the 1st ever 5-star hotel to be owned by the Indian Govt. Which?
Answer: Ashok Hotel

13. Connect: Cardamom, Aniseed, Ginger, Mustard, Nigella, Saffron, Sesame, Tamarind and Turmeric. (The list is not exhaustive)
Answer: Names of SpiceJet Aircrafts

14. It was founded in 1967 by ______ ____ (after whom the company is named), Skip Yowell and Murray Pletz in partnership with its parent company, VF Corporation. Identify this Brand known for its lifetime warranty on its products and its popularity among students.
Answer: JanSport

15. Identify the company. (Print Ad)
Answer: Fevicol

16. A microbiologist cum copywriter, Ranjiv Ramchandani worked as creative director of Paris-headquartered BDDP and was a part of the ‘Disruption’ methodology team created by advertising legend Jean Marie Dru. He along with Madan Chhabria are the founders of a certain cult brand. Identify it.
Answer: Tantra

17. (***) By the early 1980s, all that was left of this neglected company was a handful of shabby ‘odditoriums’. In 1985, Jimmy Pattison acquired this company for a sum of $6 million. He retained its top managers and in subsequent years, it expanded significantly through franchising. Identify the company.
Answer: Ripley's

18. When asked whether he knew that the laser pointer was broken, the person replied, “I am a collector of broken laser pointers.” What is the significance?
Answer: First-ever purchase on e-bay

19. Identify the company. (Video Ad)
Answer: Radio Mirchi

20. It is widely believed that Edwin’s idea that “companies would be more successful if they could call on someone outside their own organizations for expert, impartial advice” gave rise to the profession of ‘Management Consulting’. The firm that he started has notable breakthrough ideas to its credit including PERT, Product Life-Cycle and coining of the term ‘Supply Chain Management’. Identify the firm.
Answer: Booz Allen Hamilton (Edwin Booz)

21. Founded in 1991 by Robert Earl, it gave stock options to celebrities at rock bottom price in exchange for their endorsement. After having gone bankrupt twice, it recently entered India with Arch Millennium as its franchisee. Which company?
Answer: Planet Hollywood

22. This company was founded during the Second World War to construct runways. In response to the mass exodus after Partition, the company built India's largest refugee camp at Dubulia. It has also built the world's largest integrated leather complex at Calcutta. Identify the current owner of the company.
Answer: Jagmohan Dalmiya

23. (***) On 31st January, 1954 David Sarnoff exclaimed – “I didn’t kill Armstrong.” Who / what was he referring to?
Answer: Edwin Armstrong. Before Edwin had invented FM, the standard for radio waves was AM and RCA was the foremost company in radio. This led to a fight between Sarnoff and Armstrong, resulting in breaking up of Edwin’s marriage and on January 31, 1954 Armstrong committed suicide.

24. His stint with advertising began in 1987, with Allwyn’s Trendy Watch campaign. He went on to compose more than 300 ad films – Boost with Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar, MRF Tyres, Premier Pressure cooker, Asian Paints, Hero Puch, etc. He owns Panchathan Record Inn, one of India’s most advanced studios. Who?
Answer: A R Rahman

25. Inaugurated by Amitabh Bachchan on June 7, 2006 it is the first of its kind in India. It enables people to exchange money on the internet and all one must have is a valid e-mail id. What is this and which company introduced it?
Answer: wallet365.com; Times Group

26. Identify the company. (Logo)
Answer: Hinduja Group

27. The founder of this company is a graduate in International Affairs from Princeton University and a PhD in International Affairs from University of Denver. Founded in 1978 as a one man artisan workshop, it was only in 1990 that he got serious about his hobby, setting up a factory near his house at Pondicherry. Identify the person and the company.
Answer: Dilip Kapur; HiDesign

28. (***) The Marketing Department of this company wanted to gift something to their top UK clients. Terence Donovan came up with an idea in 1963. The company commissioned Robert Freeman and the first one appeared in 1964. What?
Answer: Pirelli Calendar

29. The following picture shows a person being conferred Honorary Alumnus by University of Florida. Identify him and his creation.
Answer: Dr. Robert Cade; Gatorade

30. Hyderabad-based Heritage Foods is a market leader in dairy products in Andhra Pradesh and has a significant brand presence in other Southern states. This Rs. 250-cr company is listed on both BSE and NSE. Identify the promoter family.
Answer: Chandrababu Naidu

dhanu80@rediffmail.com

Business Quiz - 1

1. Complete the following song by Flanders & Swann:
A year ago last Thursday, I was strolling in the zoo
When I met a man who thought he knew the lot
He was laying down the law about the habits of baboons
And the number of quills a porcupine has got
So I asked him "What's that creature's name?" and he answered "That's a helk!"
And I'd have gone on thinking that was true
If the animal in question hadn’t put that chap to shame,
And remarked - "I ain't a helk - I'm a ______!"

Answer: GNU (Richard Stallman listened to this song and thought the word had a certain comical effect to it and he also found a convenient recursive acronym i.e., Gnu’s Not Unix)


2. Who is being caricatured?

Answer: Sir Cecil Rhodes


3. In 1871, in the wake of the Civil War, William Russell _______ moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut. Hired to manage the local branch of the Olds Baking Company of New Haven, he soon bought it over and renamed it. Historians believe that truck drivers for the company introduced it on the loading docks during idle time. The mania later spread to Eastern USA colleges. What?

Answer: Frisbee


4. What is the significance of the following list:
Leonard Bleecker, Hugh Smith, Armstrong & Barnewall, Samuel March, Bernard Hart, Alexander Zuntz, Andrew D. Barclay, Sutton & Hardy, Benjamin Seixas, John Henry, John A. Hardenbrook, Samuel Beebe, Benjamin Winthrop, John Ferrers, Ephraim Hart, Isaac M. Gomez, Gulian McEvers, Augustine H. Lawrence, G. N. Bleecker, John Bush, Peter Anspach, Charles McEvers, Jr., David Reedy, Robinson & Hartshorne.

Answer: These are the 24 brokers who signed the Buttonwood Agreement thus giving rise to NYSE.


5. Identify him.


Answer: Sam Walton


6. In what way was a person named Shehnaz Sani the first in Indian Corporate history?

Answer: The first succesful appeal for sexual harassment at the workplace. (Saudi Arabian Airlines)


7. While accompanying her husband on a voyage, Anna had suffered a serious illness, which left a lasting impression on the deeply religious captain. In a letter to his wife in October 1886, he explained the background for the company’s emblem: "It is a reminder of the evening I prayed for you so dejectedly and anxiously, asking for the sign that I might see in the gray, overcast sky, a reminder that the Lord hears our prayers." Which company?

Answer: Maersk (6-pointed star logo)



8. Born on October 12, 1918, he was the third son of Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar, the founder of Annamalai University. His family was one of the wealthiest in India and held extensive rubber plantations and coconut estates in Burma and Ceylon. He went against the family policy of non-involvement in industrial investing, by setting up Automobile Products of India (API) and SPIC. Identify him.

Answer: M A Chidambaram


9. He started in April 1974 by acquiring an interest in Poona Coffee House. In July 1974, he acquired a dealership of Hindustan Petroleum. In 1985, under the banner of Sai Service Station Ltd. he took the dealership of Maruti Udyog Ltd. Next he added the dealership of Bajaj Auto Ltd. in 1986. He also brought to India via the Sai Service Group the Rent-a-Car scheme for the first time. Who?

Answer: Suresh Kalmadi


10. Following is an excerpt from the preface of 'Every Man His Own Broker' written by Thomas Mortimer and published in 1775. Complete the lines.
"An act for the better preventing the infamous practice of Stock-jobbing; by which the most palpable and glaring frauds then in vogue, were indeed suppressed: the Bubbles burst, and the Racehorses of Exchange Alley, expired with the date of that act; but _____________ still exist in full vigour."

Answer: The first ever usage of the term "Bulls and Bears".


Bye For Now!!!

MNNIT, Allahabad - Gen Quiz

Hi, Junta.
Sorry for the delay. Due to the untimely death of my dear old hard disk, the scores have not been compiled. Hope you all had fun. Here are the answers.

Had conducted a General Quiz and a Business Quiz on the 5th of March at MNNIT, Allahabad as part of their Annual Quizfest titled Gnosiomania 2k6. Here are a few qns from the Gen Quiz.

1. The painting was titled L.H.O.O.Q. It was a coarse French pun, when pronounced in French "elle a chaud au cul", it meant "She's got a hot ass". Identify the artist.
Answer: Marcel Duchamp

2. Originally known as 'Atomic Mass', they changed their name to '____ _______' when Joe Elliott joined as a vocalist (which Elliott had thought of in school). The band changed the spelling to its current one, since they thought the original name might lead people to believe they were a punk band. Their first released single 'Women' featured a video of a futuristic comic book world in which women were invented by men as subservient androids with the acronym W.O.M.E.N. standing for "Worship Our Master's Every Need". Identify the band.
Answer: Def Leppard

3. Anthony Burgess states that the idea for this term was taken from advertising hoardings current during World War Two for educational correspondence courses run by a company called Bennett's. The original posters are claimed to have shown Mr Bennett himself - a kindly looking old man offering guidance and support to would-be students, with the slogan "Let me be your father." When Mr Bennett died, his company was inherited by his son, whose rather aggressive-looking face appeared on the posters instead, accompanied by a slightly twisted slogan. What?
Answer: Big Brother

4. In 1976, X's father was the World No. 1 in the senior tennis circuit and in 1978, became the oldest player to compete in a Davis Cup match. X attended the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy and was a top-10 ranker in the junior circuit in his native Denmark. Identify X.
Answer: Lars Ulrich

5. Main entrance into what?
Answer: Auschwitz

6. First suggested by former Oregon and Yale coach Howard Hobson, it was introduced by Danny Biasone and Leo Ferris at Blodgett Vocational High School in Syracuse in August 1954. This was done because the game had grown accustomed to a host of fouls, especially during the second half. What am I referring to?
Answer: 24-second shot clock in Basketball

7. It was created in 1958 by a Southern Californian artist, Oliver Weismuller, who was hired to give 'a face lift'. A special committee meets each June to select the honorees for the following year and the actual ceremony is hosted by Johnny Grant, Honorary Mayor of the city. In 2005, companies became eligible for the honour and Disneyland was the first recipient. What?
Answer: Hollywood Walk Of Fame

8. This pic is from the medal ceremony for 100 kg freestyle wrestling event in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Identify the gold medallist.
Answer: Kurt Angle

9. He once explained his unusual surname thus: "To take one's ___ is to take on a certain mystery, a certain possibility of power in the eyes of one's peers and one's enemies ... The ___ announced what you had been and what you had become: Ex-smoker, Ex-drinker, Ex-Christian, Ex-slave." Who?
Answer: Malcolm X

10. He was born in Bhatlapenumarru, near Masulipatnam. He worked as a railway guard, then as a government employee at Bellary and later moved to Lahore to join the Anglo-Vedic college to study Urdu and Japanese. From 1906 to 1911, he spent most of his time researching staple varieties of crops and came up with a study on a special variety called Cambodia Cotton. However, he is most well-known for a certain contribution to India. Identify him and his creation.
Answer: Pingali Venkayya; Indian Flag

11. Born on 26 September 1881, he was a German-born doctor and scientist. In 1910, he started work as a gynaecologist in Berlin, as well as beginning scientific studies at the Berlin University on the physiology of human reproduction. His published papers include the seminal 'The Role of Urethra in Female Orgasm'. In 1981, John Perry and Beverly Whipple immortalised his name. Identify him and how was he immortalised?
Answer: Ernst Gräfenberg; G-Spot

12. The above photo was taken on 13th March, 1940 after a shooting at Caxton Hall, where a meeting of East India Association and the Royal Central Asian Society was being held. Identify the person being led away.
Answer: Udham Singh who assassinated Sir Michael O'Dwyer.

13. Connect the song "Look At Your Game Girl" from the GnR album "The Spaghetti Incident" with the two pics.
Answer: Charles Manson.
Pic 1: Sharon Tate, wife of Roman Polanski, murdered by followers of Charles Manson.
Pic 2: Marilyn Manson who takes his name from Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson
Song: Originally written by Charles Manson.

dhanu80@rediffmail.com

Sports Quiz - I

This marks the debut of my quiz blog. Sports quizzing is one of my weaker areas. Took it up as a personal challenge and have posted a Sports Quiz. Here are the answers.

1. (Sitter Starter) Whose words: "When I came back to my native country, after all the stories about Hitler, I couldn't ride in the front of the bus. I had to go to the back door. I couldn't live where I wanted. I wasn't invited to shake hands with Hitler, but I wasn't invited to the White House to shake hands with the President, either."
Answer: Jesse Owens

2. He played baseball for New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Boston Braves. In his lackluster career, he amassed a .252 batting average over 289 games. He continued to play with teams in minor leagues until 1922. He also played Amercian football for Canton Bulldogs and went on to become the first President of American Professional Football Association, the predecessor of National Football League. Who?
Answer: Jim Thorpe

3. Born in Bulgaria, he set his first world record at age 16. He missed his first chance at Olympic success in 1984 when Bulgaria joined the Soviet boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. While on a trip to the World Cup Final in Melbourne in 1986, he defected and resurfaced in Turkey, where he applied for citizenship. A battle over which country he would represent in the 1988 Seoul Olympics arose. The Bulgarian government asked for, and received, $1,000,000 from Turkey to allow him to compete for Turkey. He won the gold medal and retored in 1989 at the age of 22. He returned in 1991 and won a second Olympic gold medal at Barcelona in 1992 and added a third at the 1996 Olympic Games. Who?
Answer: Nayeem Suleymanoglu

4. After winning the gold at 1996 Atlanta Olympics, when asked if he would be competing four years hence at Sydney, he quipped "Anyone who sees me go anywhere near a boat again, ever, you've got my permission to shoot me." He went on to win the gold at Sydney as well. Who?
Answer: Sir Steven Redgrave

5. She was initially a ballet artist, but turned to gymnastics after her choreographer moved out of town. At the age of 19, she debuted internationally at the 1954 Rome World Championships. She won a total of 18 Olympic medals (still unbeaten) including 9 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze). Who?
Answer: Larissa Latynina

6. His running style was distinctive and very much at odds with what was considered to be an efficient style at the time. His head would often roll, face contorted with effort, while his torso swung from side to side. He often wheezed and panted audibly while running, which earned him the nickname of 'The Locomotive'. When asked about his alarming facial expressions, he is said to have replied "It isn't gymnastics or ice-skating, you know." Who?
Answer: Emil Zatopek

7. In 1929, he signed a contract with BVD to be a model and representative. He traveled throughout USA doing swim shows, handing out leaflets promoting that brand of swimwear, giving his autograph and appearing on talk shows. He made his screen debut as Adonis wearing only a figleaf in a movie titled 'Glorifying the American Girl'. Who?
Answer: Johnny Weismuller

8. (Could not resist) Identify the team.
___ 116 def Angola 48; ___ 103 def Croatia 70; ___ 111 def Germany 68; ___ 127 def Brazil 83; ___ 122 def Spain 81; ___ 115 def Puerto Rico 77; ___ 127 def Lithuania 76; ___ 117 def Croatia 85.
Answer: US '92 Basketball Dream Team

dhanu80@rediffmail.com